Fleeting Freedom
The inherit nature of Bonez demons was to have a craving to sensual pleasure. Such a craving did not discriminate against even those of partial relation. Lust built into the fibers of their being. It was of such uncontrollable lust that landed him here; nude and in bed with a ravenous demon. He lain in a relaxed state, drenched in sweat while Kageri found herself resting atop his chiseled abdomen with a grin wide with satisfaction. She giggled, rolling over to the opposite side of the giant bed before place the back of her hand on her forehead. "Goodness me," she started with a heavy breath. "I don't know if I like you more as a soldier or as a lover. In all my years, I've never had something so perfect." It was true of course --Kageri was very old-- over four hundred years in fact. "You just do all the right things, ugh, it drives me insane." Arousal began to build up in her system for what he counted would be the fifth time. It was difficult to respond to such a statement, given that Andreas was forced into both roles, he didn't respond to her notion. It was an odd feeling to say the very least. While he hated being forced to partake in sexual affairs, he enjoyed it so much at the same time, almost too much. It became such a prominent thing that, Andreas could go for however long Kageri wanted and then some, on occasion with the demoness having to strategically withdraw to keep herself from erupting into tremors. It was no real award in doing so, as it only made the hungry demon crave more. His thoughts were interrupted by the loud yawn of a worn-out Kageri. His golden eyes glanced over to her half conscious figure. "You may leave if you'd like." Kageri expressed with tired yawns. "I think I could sleep for about a month after that." This was typically her way of bragging about Andreas' award-winning pipe game but he saw it as just general banter. He stated nothing as he removed himself from the bed, not even bothering to place on underwear, opting to hang free for a bit after hours of their sexual endeavors. Andreas roamed to the other section of the unfortunate shared home, entering the bathroom to began preparations to bathe. It was well need, as it would clean the man of all the sin he committed with that foul demon...or at least it would in his mind. In midst of his shower, Andreas couldn't help but think of the words Kageri stated before his departure. If it were true then he would have a month to do whatever he pleased. Not many knew of this but Kageri happened to be a bit more than narcoleptic after exerting herself over an extreme amount of time. If anyone were to wonder why Andreas wouldn't take the chance to murder the demon while she lay helplessly in a comatose state; it was because the demon wasn't a fool. Living for such a long time, Kageri has and continues to have a long track record of enemies, of which, could attack to any moment. So when in her most vulnerable, Kageri automatically transports her physical being into a pocket dimension, keep her safe while she rested. Personally, Andreas didn't mind, any time away from her was heaven. With his new found freedom upon the horizon, Andreas set out for a small town in the country of Iceberg. When free, Andreas typically loves to visit the market, giving him a sense of humanity back since becoming Kageri's Wraith. It felt nice to visit the lovely townspeople while gathering delectable cutlets for his babies. It was a peaceful change of scenery that made things hopeful in times of bleak. "Hey, Andreas, be sure to give these to Niha and Nobe will ya?" A butcher from the local market asked while handing him a large sack of freshly prep meats. "And you know I don't charge you, so don't even try it." "Oh jeez," Andreas said with a smile, taking the large sack while digging in his pockets. "Well can I at least give you a top for cutting?" Before the older man could resist, Andreas place down the wad of cash before sprinting away. It was nice to feel a sense of community among the villagers here. Many of which reminded him of all the good people he lost seven years ago. This is what brought him back time and time again. And because of this, Andreas swore to never let the likes of Kageri step into this place. It was after a while that Andreas started to the develop a sweet tooth and with the smell of coffee in the air had him deep into desire. He entered into the shop, can being a smile that some had come to know well. It was then that he ordered a whipped caramel frappe with a single scoop of chocolate ice cream, something he definitely didn't need. "This is nice." He commented to himself, taking a sip of his newest love before sitting the sack of meat on the table before him. It was weird, being away from her dad's tribe; even if it was only a temporary thing. Both her and father pushed her to explore a bit more; why she didn't know. Vitnir was comfortable in the northeastern territory they called home. There she was well-regarded as one of their foremost warriors, known as , and stood as heiress to her chieftain father. She loved the windswept tundras, the sharp, snow-capped mountains, and the imposing forests of her homeland. Everything Vitnir needed or wanted was there, yet her parents pushed her to explore. So here she was, wandering through a small Icebergian town a brisky, chilly spring morning. She cut an intimidating, if fascinating figure with her light clothing (in spite of the cold), lance-strapped to her back, and red tribal tattoos on her left shoulder and face. They marked her as a fully realized member of the Vani; not that these individuals would know that. Her kind kept to themselves, living among the wild-things while posing a stiff challenge to anyone who dared invade their territory. She sighed, ducking into a local shop before sitting down. The woman watched people exchange currency for goods, including coffee, her expression disgruntled. Vitnir didn't have any money; truth be told, she didn't need it. Not when she could hunt for what she required. Nir then had a thought; maybe a barter system? She would go and hunt something then bring it back to trade. Her excitement disappeared as soon as it arose; this didn't seem like the place that would enjoy having her drop a dead animal on their table. "Well..this sucks." Unable to ignore, Andreas took notice of the woman dressed in tribal clothing. It was easy to tell that she wasn't from this area in particular. She looked a bit displeased as she glanced about the neighboring people. Ever the curious, Andreas reach out to gain her attention. "Is everything alright?" She would look up from her brooding to find another patron questioning her, his hand outstretched. "Hmm? I'm fine, I don't have any money is all. It's not needed where I'm from...." The woman cocked her head slightly, noticing Andrea didn't exactly look like a local himself, given his dress. "Who are you?" Recoiling his hand after the friendly gesture was denied, Andreas chuckled somewhat. "I'm Andreas. And yes, your questioning stares are correct. I'm not from here." He nodded in response to her mentioning money not being traditional trade were she's from. "Well perhaps, I could be of some help, technically I didn't pay for this meat, so i can afford to help my neighbor. See anything you like?" "Andreas...a nice name. Mine is Hróðvitnir," she started before realizing that Andreas would have no idea how to pronounce that, "just call me Vitnir. Um...." she glanced at the menu before pointing to a smoothie drink made of strawberry, banana, and mango. How did they even import that stuff here? "I'll take one of those thanks." "Thanks, your name is very.... unique." Andreas reply with a light laugh. Given her appearance Andreas wondered if she had ever had a smoothie before, their unique taste would for sure surprised her. Catching the attention of an employee, Andreas order the drink for the lass. "Hey Vitnir, you can come sit when me if you'd like?" He offered, moving the bag of assorted meats. She accepted his offer, moving over to his table. She ogled the large supply of meat. "It is alright...my mom named that. Where are you going with all of that? It seems like an awful lot of food for one person. Unless you're really, really like meat," Vitnir commented curiously. His own eyes went toward the bag while in mid sip. "Oh this. This actually isn't for me. A special treat for my pet panthers, whom I haven't seen in a bit." He laugh a bit just think about them. "If showed up without anything they'd probably maul with me to death." Vitnir paused. "Did you say you have pet panthers??? I LOVE BIG CATS." Her excitement was visible as her mind replayed wrestling with snow leopards, pumas, and other large mammals as a kid. "I want to see them!!!" Andreas was taken back a bit by Vitnir's reaction, she is the second person to ever get this riled up at the mention of his panthers. "Oh yeah, if you really want, we can see them after your smoothie is brought back. They are surprisingly very loveable." "Yes!!!" she whooped. Vitnir turned impatient now, drumming her fingers on the table while waiting for said smoothie to arrive. "So what else are you up to? Besides making sure your pets are well fed of course." "I'm just browsing around really, I have a golden opportunity to get some free time, so I'm going to take it." Just as he would finish his sentence, the waitress would return to their table, placing tropical smoothie on the table. Andreas handed the lady a few bills in exchange before standing. "Ready?" He offered a hand to the woman. She would nab the drink as soon as reached the table before taking a long sip. "It's delicious! Thank you for the drink!" Vitnir proclaimed before standing. She noticed that Andreas once again offered a hand, receiving a stare from Nir. "Why do you keep holding your hand out like that? It's weird." With her drink in tow, she would head outside, not waiting for an answer. "I was actually tryi....well okay then." He said as Vitnir trailed off into the streets. He was a bit perplexed that she didn't know what a handshake was. Shrugging it off, he bit farewell to the shop and all its people before hitting the streets after the purple haired lass. "I was offering you a means of getting to the panthers." He said as he approached her yet again. "I'm not so sure about this route, though. It'll take about a month to travel from here to North Minstrel, but if you insist." He sneered as he slowly began to fade into dark smoke "Hmm?" She paused, drinking her smoothie as she looked back, "By taking your hand? That's odd. A month to north Minstrel? What do you mean? I could be there in a day or less." Vitnir gave a yawn to his sneer before gasping. "You're fading into smoke!! Are you a magician??" Her curiosity returns in force. "Indeed I am." Andreas said while pulling his body back to its original form. "Physical contract would make it easier to dematerialize you for transport. I'm not trying to make moves on you if that's what you're thinking, just friendly gestures is all." The man stated, tossing the sack over his shoulders. "Dematerialize? That sounds intense. I just met you what....five minutes ago? That's a pretty big first step don't you think? Maybe we should go my way instead. Get to know each other first before we start doing dematerializing things," Vit commented, continuing to drink her smoothie. She soon reached the bottom. "While that does sound like a really good time," Andreas started after chuckling at Vit's response to his instant travel. "I don't suppose you have a fridge handy with you? I'm fairly certain this meat wouldn't last a few hours out let alone an entire day. I am not trying to swoon Niha and Nobe over with my own flesh." "Are you accusing my method of travel to be slow? That's rude considering you never met them," she whistles after tossing her smoothie container in a bin, "Hey! þú megkomar út nú Hábrók!" As Vitnir said this, the sky darkened as the sound of mighty wingbeats and crackle of lightning could be heard. Fortunately, they were on the outskirts of town. The sun would be quickly blotted out as massive figure soared through the space before touching down in front of them with a flourish. The wind generated buffeted the town as the being settled, looking at Vitnir and Andreas with intelligent, yet intense gaze. A rollcall of thunder went off. Vitnir, for her part, tackle hugged its head despite it being easily as large as her. "Hábrók, hvat gerði ek segðumr boastr?" Vitnir scolded, only to receive a lazy eye roll in response. "Andreas, meet Hábrók; Hábrók meet Andreas. Just cause you insulted her speed, we're going to move fast. Really fast. Try not to lose your lunch ok? Or that meat; it'd be a shame if you became a snack for your own panthers." The summoning of the large bird was nothing short of amazing, a bit flashy, but nevertheless cool to look at. The man watched how Vitnir interacted with the creature, a picture which seemed all to familiar how Andreas was with his own fur babies. "Again with the names, jeez. It is a pleasure, and like don't kill me if I butcher this as it is your companion's faut, Habrok." He said in one breath, approaching the creature cautiously. He groan a bit upon hearing Vit's declaration of hypersonic travel. "Tsh, fine." Andreas said, giving up his last ditch effort to get to travel his more preferred non-vomit inducting method of travel. "Persistent gal you are. Lucky for me all I had was that frappe, so I should be good." It was then that he offered the sack of meat to the dark void, noting that it was cold enough inside for the meat to last for an extended period of time. "Don't worry, that won't be going anywhere." "Hey, those are names from my language; not my fault you can't pronounce them. Good," she said while jumping up, scaling the last bit before nestling right behind the bird's neck. "Hop on and we'll be off. You might want to hold onto something; it'd be a shame if you flew off the back Hábrók," Vitnir added, while Brók flapped her wings with a bit of impatience, eager to be off. "Alright alright," Andreas said in response to the bird's powerful wings kicking up dust. He leaped once, joining Vitnir on the bird's neck just a few feet behind her. Truth be told, he had never been flying before so the thought of the new experience scared him just a bit. "I think I'm ready." He said just a bit unsure, gripping a tuft of a bird's feathers before settling in. "Good. Eigi á vér líða!" with this Hábrók took to the skies, letting out a war cry before a sonic boom followed. At first it was hypersonic speed, as Andreas had predicted. However, their speed would steadily increase, surpassing such a "slow" pace. No, it was more like lightning, Hábrók the thunderbolt as she streaked across the sky with Vitnir and Andreas on her back. "Hold on tight!! Fullr makt Hábrók!" Andreas took a deep breath just before being zipped up into the sky at blazing speeds. Changing altitude so suddenly made his head spin almost literally. I'm the back of his mind there was a bit of regret for claiming Vitnir preferred method of travel "slow". While it still wasn't at fast of his, it would have saved Andreas from a headache and some nausea. "Oh how fun." Andreas said loudly, unable to hold back the sarcasm. "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" the wind ripped away her screams of jubilation as Hábrók went even faster, crossing the sky like a falling shooting star as miles of Ishgarian countryside passed by. She directed the bird downwards, as the arced around a certain land's territory. They would shoot upwards again as soon as the landscape changed, signaling to hawk and main rider that they crossed the border. "We'll be there before you know it so get ready for an epic landing!!!" "I'm so glad at least one of us is enjoying this." The man commented to himself, clenching hard on the bird in fear of falling off. The word epic didn't come off to pleasant to Andreas and he had already been through enough of this flying nonsense, so he didn't want to stick around for the landing of all things. "I don't think so..." He said, trailing off as his body began to fade once again. A zap from the bird's body would make contact with him as he did that, Hábro's gaze rolling back to stare at the individual as he attempted to escape. "It's not nice to bail on people when they give you a ride you know. Especially when the destination is close..." The shock was enough to make him fully materialize, with his hair now resembling a small fro. "You're one to talk, I just got electrocuted." Andreas said with every bit of bitterness in his voice. "I've basically been kidnapped." "Basically been kidnapped? We're bringing you to your destination. If that's what 'kidnapped' means these days, then its a topsy turvy world out there. You need to loosen up a bit lad," Vitnir commented as they continued their northern trek. "Prepare for descent in five, four, three, two...one. Now!!" Hábrók dived, speeding towards the ground like a lightning bolt. "You're keeping on a ride I no longer what to be in, so yes, kidnapping." Andreas replied cheekily, gripping the bird even tighter. For the life of him, he couldn't under how anyone in their right mind would find this amusing. "You're so lucky I didn't eat anything, I've enjoy throwing up all over YOUUUUU!" His banter turned into shrieks as they made a sharp descent to the land. At the very last second Hábrók pulled up, gliding across land before touching down. Vitnir whooped. "We. Are. HERREEEE. Rikki flit Hábrók!" she exclaimed, lovingly hugging the hawk's neck. She puffed out her chest with pride as Vitnir rolled off her back. "Wasn't that quick and fun?" She then took in Andreas' queasy expression before shaking her head. "You need to fly more." "Do you want the honest answer or a lie?" Andreas stand with a bitter laugh, tipping over off the bird, landing on the ground with a loud thud. He just laid there for a good while, disoriented a bit. "No. I think I'm good on the ground for a eternity, thank you." Upon finally getting up, the man turned to the massive forest near where they landed. Placing two fingers in his mouth, Andreas blew a loud commanding whistle off into the distance. "Give em a second, they'll be here soon." The door to the void opened yet again, returning the sack of meat to his arms. Vitnir clicked her tongue upon landing, nimbly maneuvering to her feet. "Tsk tsk, can't even appreciate the wind in your hair. Besides, flying like that is an experience," she commented somewhat defensively. However, her irritation dissipated as her anticipation built, scanning the forest for any sign of the coming panthers. "How big are they?" After a bit, Andreas began feel the presence of his felined friends as the approached the end of the woodlands. "There pretty large cat.... to my knowledge at least. They come up to about my chest area." He answered, looking up just as one of the cats peered from the tree. "Of course Niha is first," he laughed a bit before placing the meat down and breaking off into a spirit. The cat mimicked his action, building her pace before charging full speed toward Andreas. From the high grass, the another waited for the perfect moment to pounce on his "unsuspecting" victim. It came to when Niha and Andreas where just few feet from one another that the other took his strike; leaping from the field in attempts to intercept Andre. Being familiar with how they played, Andreas quickly redirected himself jumping just over its head with a flip and landing on the panther's back. "Still trying that same tired ambush, huh Nobe." He said while bear hugging just behind the cat's front legs, pulling up with his might; Andreas lifted into the air before flinching him into Niha, sending them tussling into the ground. "Better luck next time." "They're beautiful!!!!!" she exclaimed as the first of the cats cleared the treeline. She could faintly make out a second lurking, before it too emerged, looking to pounce on Andreas. She moved forward, Hábrók huffing a bit as she settled in, tucking her wings to her body while staring at the panthers. Vitnir continued walking, cooing at the panther pile. "What are their names?" "Niha and Nobe!" Andreas answered Vit while in the middle of wrestling with the dark felines. Despite their menacing appearance along with their razor sharp teeth and dagger like claws, the two were extremely friendly and were careful not to actually hurt Andreas while playing. It was then that one of them took notice of the lass and then the other. Suspicious of this new individual the two animals growled. "Cut it out you to, she's a friend." Andreas said clasping his hands down on their heads before petting them roughly. "Come, Vit. They're eager to meet you." Vitnir broke out into a run before opening her arms out wide. "Nice to meet you Niha and Nobe!!" she exclaimed, going for a tackle hug. Her grin grew even with their initial growl. They had spirit, which was a good thing as far as she was concerned. Hábrók, for her part, simply stared back at the two panthers, her withering gaze unimpressed. She came all the way out here to see this? Two large cats playing like kittens and now growling at her charge. The hawk huffed; the nerve of some things. Andreas rolled his eyes at Hábrók. "All they did was growl, you electrocuted me." Sneering at the large bird, he watched at Vit has her tussle with the big cats. "You are a very strange one. The only person I've ever met to be this excited back meeting large predatory animals. Most people admire from afar," he chuckled. "But not you. Like living life on the edge, I see." Hábrók gave him a return eye roll as if to say "you deserved it for being soft." Certain that nothing would happen in the immediate future, it tucked in for a bit, seeming almost like a governess watching over their child. Vitnir would switch from a hug to a wrestling contest, rolling on the ground with the two panthers as they grappled back and forth. She would eventually pin one down as the other draped itself over her shoulders. "Hmm? Am I? All the kids in my tribe are like this; hell, most Bergian kids are like this. Especially out in the boonies; you need to leave the city more. I can't wait to tell them I wrestled with panthers...they're going to be soooo jealous." "Oh there's not like you?" Andreas said, his tone laced with sarcasm. "I think I'm okay with being a city boy. What's always one but I've become very.... accustomed." Whistling again, Andreas called with panthers to him this time holding the sack from earlier. The panthers smelled the goodness and began approaching him rather anxiously. Stopping just short of him, they waited, practically drooling with anticipation. "Do you want to feed them?" He said while throwing a couple of slabs into the air for them to catch. Vitnir raised an eyebrow, sensing the hesitation. "Wasn't always one? What were you before? A village lad? Where did you live? Is there a reason for your hesitation?" Nir asked, sitting up as the panthers left. "Of course I want to feed them. They're adorable." She cooed a bit, rolling to her feet before gesturing for Andreas to toss her a couple slabs. "Yes, I was just a village lad. It was the land of Joya. A very peaceful place too, for the most part." He answered with a tired sigh, thinking back on his life before Kageri. "But like all good things, it had an end. Even if that ending was traumatic." He would then go to toss Vitnir a few slabs of meat, before his eyes took to the skies. "Honestly, it's probably something best left unspoken. The pain still lingers." She caught them deftly before waving them at the panthers, teasing. "So you're a person from the sticks like me," Vitnir grinned before turning serious, "Something better left unspoken.....sounds pretty awful. Why not talk about it? Faðir says it's bad to hold things in. They either make you explode or eat you alive." "I'm fine with either of those to be honest, hopefully when I do explode, it'll be directed toward the person responsible." Andreas turned toward Vitnir, watching as she fed the giant cats. "Sorry, it's just that the memories are painful, a daily struggle if I'm being completely honest." "Life is a struggle. You need to be better at dealing with it, finding outlets. Hell, sometimes you just have to sit with something and turn it over and over until you find what you're looking for," she commented before swiftly retracting her hand from one of the panthers. "Hey! That's my hand, not food." Vitnir wagged her finger. "So what is your life story? Exchanging them could be cool."